Give a warm welcome to Team Barrelhouse's newest additions! We're really excited to have them on board, and we know you will be, too.

INTERVIEWS

YOHANCA DELGADO

Okay, first: tell us about all the things you do that aren’t Barrelhouse-adjacent

I am a full-time MFA candidate at American University in Washington, DC. I have spent a lot of time living overseas (France, Brazil, Egypt, Lithuania, and Ukraine) and have worked a lot of weird jobs, which, thankfully, mostly related to writing. I have a very cute—but not very good—dog.

What made you want to work with us?

Barrelhouse is a rare breed of literary magazine in that it’s curated and designed for readers. Some magazines seem to be published for contributors, which is to say, they seem to be designed so that contributors can read their own work and then put the issue on a shelf as a keepsake. Barrelhouse is meant to be read. It's so well-curated and thoughtfully organized that I can read it cover-to-cover without lagging. A lot of that has to with Barrelhouse’s personality, which I adore: razor-sharp, subversive, and funny.

What are you looking for in fiction submissions? What makes a story stand out from the slush pile for you?

I'm looking to be transported. I love stories that whisk me somewhere new right from the jump. It sounds so simple, right? But I think a story needs to be really polished to create and sustain the kind of irresistible momentum that feels so effortless to the reader. I want to feel completely entranced by a story. I also like stories that play with form and structure, though, again, I think the "play" has to be serious and always generous to the reader. I don’t much care for stories that are so purposefully obtuse that they leave the reader behind. I love fiction that bends genres, too. I love a lot of things. Whatever you’re writing, I’m here for it.

Who are some of your favorite contemporary fiction writers?

In the short story world, my current favorites are Carmen Maria Machado and Leslie Nneka Arimah. I also love ZZ Packer, Miranda July, Kelly Link, George Saunders, Alice Munro, Richard McCann, Edward P. Jones, Grace Paley, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez (I know the last two aren’t technically contemporary, but I can’t help it. It’s real love).

In novels, I can't get enough of Elizabeth Acevedo's novel-in-verse, The Poet X, and Naima Coster's lovely Halsey Street. I'm really excited to read Ingrid Rojas Contreras' Fruit of the Drunken Tree and Nafkote Tamirat’s The Parking Lot Attendant this summer. Jason Hannaham's Delicious Foods is a book I cannot stop talking about. I dare you to read the first two sentences, then put it down and walk away. Seriously. @ Me.

If you could change one thing about the current lit world, what would it be?

I think we need to rethink and expand the literary canon. So much of the fiction we praise as “the standard” holds up one lens to the world: white male. There are so many exciting, enriching ways to see the world-- and so many of those viewpoints are still being ignored. We need to center writers who are not only writing beautifully from a craft perspective, but who are also working incredibly hard to bring those necessary narratives in from the margins.

NATALIE KAY WILSON

Okay, first: tell us about all the things you do that aren’t Barrelhouse-adjacent

I'm a bartender at a sports bar and at a craft brewery, with a strong preference towards the latter. I also do stand up and improv comedy around the Northwest Ohio/Southern Michigan area. Occasionally, I'll be asked to teach improv, usually with a "team building" approach in a corporate setting, which is always a lot of fun for me because 1.) I love doing improv and spreading the word about how fun it is, it's basically just playing pretend for grown-ups and 2.) I love any opportunity to boss around fancy business people that have higher annual salaries than my life is worth. When I'm not serving beer or performing, I'm usually reading, scrolling through Yelp to find the best Pad Thai within thirty miles of me, chatting with pals, or listening to podcasts.

What made you want to work with us?

I spent a lot of time trying to find a group of writers to hang out with, and ended up getting to go to Writer Camp last summer. I went in thinking I was underqualified to even be there and that I'd have to bluff to try to fit in, but it turns out that I'm Bridget Jones and Barrelhouse is Mark Darcy and they like me, just the way I am. But seriously, Barrelhouse consistently does kickass work, and to get to be a part of that while also getting to work with amazing people... that's the dream, right?

What are you looking for in fiction submissions? What makes a story stand out from the slush pile for you?

I don't think it will surprise anyone when I say that I like stories that make me laugh so hard I spit on my computer monitor. To me, the funniest stories are the ones that are infused with truth. What really rocks my socks is when a writer can find a way to make a fictional story the most honest, truthful thing I've read that day.

If you could change one thing about the current lit world, what would it be?

More spaces and events for us all to chill out, have a few beers, reveal our emotional trauma to one another, then watch Road House and make friendship bracelets. Really though, us writers and readers are lucky that our community can exist online, but I have the most fun and meaningful experiences when I get face-to-face time with people I admire and know through their work. As the former Event Coordinator for my sorority, I'd suggest an Anything But Cups party.

Ok, so, I know the right answer is Dirty Dancing, but my favorite thing Swayze ever did was the Chippendale's sketch with Chris Farley on SNL. It's so pure.

SAM ASHWORTH

Okay, first: tell us about all the things you do that aren’t Barrelhouse-adjacent

I'm a writer in DC, originally from New York. I seem to write a lot about human bodies, in particular dead ones; last year I spent two weeks observing autopsies at a hospital (book research, I promise) and I've been alarming dinner guests ever since. I also seem to write a lot about food, secular Judaism, and DC. I'm an editor and ghostwriter for hire, and lately I've been doing journalism, which freaks me out because suddenly I have to be responsible, and I did not get into the writing business to be responsible. I love the swamp and its bureaucrats and I'm not leaving.

What made you want to work with us?

After you accepted a story of mine, I met a bunch of you in a dark basement party and you didn't murder me.

But also, I love that Barrelhouse can actually laugh at itself, and it values entertainment in literature more than any other journal I can think of. You get that entertainment, that sheer good fun pleasure, is a virtue of its own in art. It's easy to write a "good" story, with characters and beginnings and ends and longing and tears, but to write an entertaining story? That's harder, and that's what I feel like Barrelhouse exists to promote.

I also like the way Barrelhouse engages with the broader literary community by feuding with them. I'm super good at holding grudges, so I've always wanted to be part of a feud.

What are you looking for in fiction submissions? What makes a story stand out from the slush pile for you?

I want serious stories that don't take themselves too seriously, that can make a joke without cracking in half. I want stories where the author has done their homework, where they clearly know more about this thing than I do, and they use that knowledge to make stuff up. I want stories that are set in real places, even if those places are imagined. I want stories where you can see how infatuated the author is with language, even if that language isn't English. I want stories that engage with characters' bodies, their armpits and balky knees and genitals and ear hair. I want jokes that land. And for God's sake, I want stories where things happen.

Who are some of your favorite contemporary fiction writers?

For me, Ian McEwan is the total package, and Lauren Groff, John Lanchester, and Paul Beatty knock my socks off. Lately, I've been loving SUICIDE CLUB by Rachel Heng and THE WANGS VS THE WORLD by Jade Chang. Also, she's not currently alive but can I stan for Fran Ross's OREO? Because that book is way overdue for a Moment.

If you could change one thing about the current lit world, what would it be?

I fought with this question a lot. A lot. I just published a huge piece about Dirty Dancing as a Jewish horror movie so this has been on my mind anyhow. My first Swayze was Road House and Road House is perfect in every particular--but I have to go with Dirty Dancing anyhow. It's just that...you know the scene where he and Jennifer Grey dance in the sweltering hot studio to "Loverboy," and she has the white button-down knotted at her chest? I would die for that scene.

TARA LEMMA

Okay, first: tell us about all the things you do that aren’t Barrelhouse-adjacent

I moved to Philly for college about 6 years ago, and have lived here with various cats ever since. I currently work at an educational travel company by day, and tutor high school kids in reading and writing a couple nights a week. I typically spend big $$$ on health food, only to leave it rotting in my fridge while I binge eat ice cream sandwiches. My hobbies include bad vegan baking, letting my cat lick the inside of a plastic bag for longer than is good for her while I take Instagram videos, and posting "ASL?" on the Neopets forums until I get reported. I will be enrolling in Temple University's Creative Writing MFA program this fall.

What made you want to work with us?

I've participated in workshops with several Barrelhouse editors at this point, and I **really** appreciate their willingness to engage with things (weird things, sad things, hybrid things) that maybe wouldn't get consideration from more traditional venues.

What are you looking for in fiction submissions? What makes a story stand out from the slush pile for you?

I tend to read and write a lot of magical realism, so any story that toes the line between real and unreal will usually get my attention, though weirdness for weirdness' sake won't hold it. I appreciate playfulness, experimentation with form and narrative structure, humor, and probably most importantly—tenderness and love, especially when its unexpected. My favorite stories use the unusual to distract me, so I'm caught off guard and even more susceptible by the time the very human emotions kick in.

If you could change one thing about the current lit world, what would it be?

This isn't just a lit mag thing, but also an academic thing. I felt a lot of pressure growing up, as someone interested in reading and writing, to have a thorough knowledge of/interest in canonical works. And I still think there is this lingering feeling out there that if you don't like or understand that stuff, you're not a legitimate lover of books or writer. I really hate that and think the division between "high" and "low" art actively discourages critical thought and innovation. Happily, I think that kind of rigidity is starting to fade, with magazines like Barrelhouse leading the charge, but I think there is definitely still more that could be done to encourage new writers and show them that successful stories can take a lot of different shapes and not look anything like what they'd been told to expect.

GABRIELLA RINCON

Okay, first: tell us about all the things you do that aren’t Barrelhouse-adjacent

I get myself into a lot of shenanigans outside of Barrelhouse and activities related to it. Below is a brief list of some of those activities.

● I am either running outside or kickboxing at the gym.

● Writing down whatever is in my head.

● Learning animation because I decided to learn a new skill. It's slow going, but I do enjoy it.

● Attending my publishing classes for my masters at GW.

● Fighting and curing zombies with coffee beans at my cafe job.

● Listening to music, writing lyrics, and living a double life as a rock star. Okay, those first two things are true. I am not a rock star...yet.

● Taking photos whether it's on my phone or with my regular camera.

What made you want to work with us?

I wanted to work with Barrelhouse for a few reasons. One of them was to gain experience in the publishing world. Since moving here and starting grad school I have been looking for companies involved in this industry, but a majority of them are involved in politics. I am not a political person and if I had worked in those places I wouldn't have found it fulfilling.

What are you looking for in fiction submissions? What makes a story stand out from the slush pile for you?

Although this is my first job at a literary magazine what I look for in a story is something that plays with my imagination and makes me think. Outside of voice and other elements that make up a good story, if the writer can show soul and creativity in their work I will be hooked.

If you could change one thing about the current lit world, what would it be?

I would change everyone's attitude about piracy and plagiarism in the technological age. It is a serious issue with a lot of grey areas that divides people on how to take handle it. From what I have observed it isn't a serious issue to people in comparison to bigger or life ending crimes.